BOOK BLITZ - Something Beautiful by Amanda Gernentz Hanson

Cordelia and Declan have been
best friends since they were three years old. By the time they hit middle
school, Cordelia—Cord, to Declan—is already feeling the blackness in her life
as depression takes hold. Their mutual attraction to each other leads to a
serious high school relationship, one with their foundation of friendship at
the forefront. Cordelia seems to have her mental health under control. All
appears to be well.

However, when Declan starts to
accept his own fluid sexuality, it sets something in motion in their lives that
is both beautiful and tragic as they learn to love each other for who they are.

“Fresh
off of her book tour, I have here an advocate who is actively involved in
fighting inequality in her daily life. I give you, Cordelia Quinn!” The rally
organizer steps aside, and I can finally see the crowd. I wave, and the rally
organizer gives me a dazzling smile before she continues. “Cordelia Quinn is
the bestselling author ofThe Yellow Wood, a
coming-of-age story about a boy and a girl who are best friends as children but
choose different paths as adults and then come together later in life. She is
also an award-winning screenwriter and one of the most outspoken LGBTQ allies
in publishing. Please join me in welcoming her to the podium!” The crowd breaks
into thunderous applause that echoes through the cold air, and a smile pulls at
the corners of my mouth.

I
can’t lie—I’m nervous. I’m not good at hiding my emotions, so I’m afraid that
people might be able to tell. I hate crowds, and I hate public speaking. I’ve
managed to avoid it ever since I spoke at high school graduation.

“Hello,
Topeka,” I begin. My voice is shaking. God, I hope no one notices.

The
crowd is rumbling below me, waiting for me to say something good. I’m not even
sure I have anything good to say. I’m so bad at this. But I’ve learned that
being honest is usually the best way to go, so I decide to veer away from my
prepared speech and try for candor.

“I’m
going to admit something to you,” I say, gripping the sides of the podium to
keep my hands from trembling. I can’t be trusted to hold papers or they’ll be
shaking so much that I can’t read them. “I’m not a fan of public speaking, and
I don’t usually speak at rallies like this one. But this issue… it’s really
important to me. Those of you who have read my book know that. So, when my
publicist asked me to come here and talk to you, I couldn’t really turn her
down.”

The
crowd cheers, and I smile and take a deep breath. With each breath, I feel more
at ease, more comfortable speaking up here in front of everyone. I close my
eyes for a second, trying to center myself. I see my children’s faces, and my
grin widens.

“Honestly,
I don’t have a lot to say,” I continue, gaining confidence. “I believe in
equality. I believe in love. And I believe that the government should not tell
us who we are allowed to love and marry.” At this, all I can think about are
the people I left at home—the people who I love, the person I married. I’m
lucky. I’ve never had to fight for those rights. “The politicians who are
fighting against marriage equality are all active in their conservative
churches—well, ladies and gentlemen, I find two issues with that. First, this country
was founded on the separation of church and state—it’s in the First Amendment
of the Constitution. What ever happened to that?”

I’m
on a roll now. My hands have stopped shaking and everything.

“And
second, marriage isn’t just about love. Anyone who has made that kind of
commitment to someone can tell you that. There are legal rights that come with
marriage that should be available to everyone, no matter who they love!”

I
can’t help it. I start looking for him. He’s here. I can feel it.

And
then I see him, and my face breaks open into the giddy sort of smile I wish I
could contain. I knew he’d come. We’ve been apart for weeks now while I’ve been
on my book tour, and I’ve missed him so much. Almost as much as I’ve missed the
kids. God, I wish they were here with me.

As
I make eye contact with him, an idea strikes. I decide to roll with it. “I’m
very pleased to tell you that the person who inspired my book is with us
tonight. I’d like to call him up here, so that you can meet the first man I
ever loved—Declan MacLeod. Come up here, Dec!”

People
turn to look at him as he shakes his head and starts moving toward me. I can
nearly feel my body vibrating. I can’t wait to be next to him again, to feel
his warm hand in mine. My smile is so big it feels like it’s going to split my
face in two.

“I’m
going to kill you,” he whispers in my ear as he wraps his arms around me. I
want him to hold me forever, to never let go of me, to keep me safe and warm
wrapped in his strong arms. But we’re in front of all of these people. He has
to let go.

“No,
you’re not,” I murmur back. “You’re better at this stuff than I am. Tell them
something. Anything.” He starts chewing on his bottom lip as he thinks, and I
throw him a sharp look. I’ve been on him about that since high school, but he
always slips back into the old habit when we’re apart.

He
makes his way to the podium and clears his throat. “Hello,” he starts as he
waves at the crowd. “I had no idea that I was going to be speaking here
tonight, so I apologize if what I say doesn’t make any sense.” He takes a deep
breath and glances back at me. “As Cordelia mentioned, I’m Declan MacLeod. I
grew up across the street from her in Hamden, Connecticut. Now, I spend most of
my time in New York, performing on Broadway.”
The crowd is hypnotized, and I don’t blame them. I’ve been told that, together,
Dec and I are hypnotic. We have an energy. I’m not sure I agree—I think he’s
the one who radiates energy and charisma, whose skin feels electrifying, no
matter how many times I touch it.

As
I watch him look out into the crowd, I know one thing—he’s everything. He’s my
reason, my why. He’s it for me. I’d be nothing without him.

Amanda Gernentz Hanson has been
writing stories since the third grade, when she entered a five-page story about
talking dogs into a local youth arts contest. She is an instructional designer
by day and an everything else by night. Amanda is a proud Latina who earned her
Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Hope College and her Master’s degree in
Technical Communication from Minnesota State University. You can find her on
the internet at browneyedtwentysomething.com,
diverseladybookproject.tumblr.com, and on Twitter and Instagram @amandamariegh.
If you see her in the wild, she probably has a book in her purse.

I have read one book thus far and the review
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